Diane Farris Greets Emily Carr
Diane Farris, the fairy godmother of West Coast artists, has a particularly interesting exhibit running at her gallery. Always one to encourage up and coming artisans, Farris is mounting an exhibit featuring the works of five Emily Carr students. Ceramics seems to be the cohesive element to the show. Boo Byrom's exhibiting her playful ceramic dogs. Teresa Takeuchi also works with ceramics, adding glass jars as well as the element of liquid light; and Margaret MacLean explores ceramic seaforms. Alex Abdilla constructs a thought provoking mixed media of housing, and Jane Brookes is showing her Landscapes.

From Attila Richard Lukacs' tree series

This exhibit of artsy up and comers is augmented with a series of limited copperplate etchings by Douglas Coupland, Angela Grossmann, Graham Gilmore, Attila Richard Lukacs, and Derek Root. This fabulously successful five, known as the Young Romantics, graduated from Emily Carr back in 1985. The sales of the etchings will provide funding to award scholarships to deserving students at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design.

I've seen the Lukacs print and I'm telling you, I myself am seriously thinking about making a purchase. It's going to support new artists, I love the work and who knows what it might be worth 20 years from now.

Diane Farris Gallery
Until July 22nd
(604) 737-2629

The Dream Children
Nova Scotia's Chester Theatre is taking the mickey out of the boomer generation with its production of Dream Children. The musical comedy spans the last 50 years looking at "the struggles of the baby boomers, tracking them from childhood to today, and poking some fun along the way." Poking fun indeed! As if it isn't bad enough to face the indignities of aging, now the poor boomers are the butt of theatrical jokes. I wonder if the work was ghost written by boomer-hating Globe and Mail columnist Leah McLaren?

All kidding aside (although I'm not kidding about McLaren's hate-on for anyone over 40), this sounds like it could be a night of great entertainment. There are dynamic dance numbers, more than 70 costumes, and a set that practically required rebuilding the Playhouse stage. Malcolm Callaway directs and Laura Smith and Jamie Junger are the featured musicians.

Chester Playhouse
Until July 15

Hot Lips Strikes Again
If you've never seen Robert Altman's smash medical comedy MASH, tonight's the chance you've been waiting for. Sally Kellerman's joined by Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould in the film that inspired the series that's still in syndication today. When MASH was first released in the early seventies its medical irreverence caused a stir in the conservative ranks. Many were outraged at the up, close and personal shots of blood, guts and profanity in the operating tents. However MASH was the precursor for St. Elsewhere, Chicago Hope and E.R. The gang at the 4077th made an indelible mark, completely reconfiguring the medical genre. MASH will be accompanied by another Altman seldom-seen 70s masterpiece, Thieves Like Us.

MASH and Thieves Like Us
Paradise Cinema
Toronto, @ 7pm
1006 Bloor St.West
(416)537-7040

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